KABUL, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Swimming in a pool to escape the scorching summer heat in Paghman valley, a mountainous district 20 km west of Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Ahmad Jawad, 21, felt that this year is hotter than last year due to climate change.
Scorching weather across Afghanistan has left the country's major parts sweltering, while power cuts compound the misery of urban populations living without central cooling systems.
"The weather is too hot to live, and that is why I am here to swim and quench my thirst and cool my body," Jawad, a Kabul University student, said.
"This year is hotter than last year. It might be the hottest year as I remember," he said while wiping sweat from his forehead.
The temperatures during the daytime often hover between 30 and 35 degrees Celsius and even over 40 degrees Celsius in some cities in Afghanistan, making it one of the hottest summers in recent years.
"The weather is very hot. I came here to swim and cool my body. This year is the hottest, and many people are swimming in swimming pools, streams and rivers," Ahmad Siar told Xinhua at a swimming pool in Paghman.
Climate change has taken a severe toll on Afghanistan, leaving the country reeling from years of consecutive droughts, torrential rainstorms, flash floods, and landslides.
Rainstorms and flash floods have killed more than 300 people and injured around 400 others across Afghanistan so far this year, according to officials. The disasters have also destroyed or severely damaged thousands of homes.
Another impact of climate change is declining groundwater levels, which trigger severe water shortages in many cities, as scores of people queue in long lines for their turn to fetch water from public water taps in Kabul every day.
Confirming the unprecedented hot summer in Afghanistan this year, manager of a swimming pool, Rohullah, claimed that rising temperatures have forced many to swim to cool down their bodies over the past couple of weeks.
"Since the weather is getting warmer with each passing day and Kabul has been experiencing its hottest days, around 200 to 300 people come to enjoy my swimming pool every day and of course all the swimming pools have similar attendance," Rohullah said, adding the number is on a constant rise. ■
